Varattu Kari Kuzhambu/Goat curry is a South Indian delicacy that is native to the state of Tamil Nadu particularly in and around Madurai. This is a recipe from my Mom-in-law. It forms a curry base that has a hint of sweetness from the shallots yet spicy at the same time from the peppercorns and chillies. My Mom uses almost the same ingredients, but her version is kind of semi-dry. You can follow this recipe for lamb as well.
Ingredients:
- 1 kilograms Goat, cut in small pieces
- 1/4 cup Oil
- 400 – 500 grams Shallots or pearl onions, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 4 teaspoons Cumin seeds
- 4 teaspoons Black peppercorns
- 10 – 15 Dried red chillies
- 2 sprig Curry leaves
- 1/4 cup Water
Preparation:
Wash and drain the goat in a colander. Take peppercorns and cumin in a mortar and pestle, and pound them to a coarse state. Alternatively, you can pulse it in a blender. Do not grind it to a fine powder though. In a pressure cooker, heat oil at a medium to high setting and add in the shallots. Add turmeric and salt and sauté well. Add red chillies, ground peppercorns and cumin. Sauté along with curry leaves. The shallots will turn translucent.
Add in the goat and stir through slowly. The colour of the meat will change from red to a dull brown and will start to ooze out water. Cover the cooker with its lid leaving out the casket and cook for five minutes. Take off the lid, the meat would have left out ample amount of water. Add water and check for salt. Add more if needed. Now, cover and cook this time with the casket. Put on the weight once steam comes out of the valve and cook for 10 minutes(*refer notes). Let the steam settle by itself before opening the cooker. The meat should be well cooked and tender.
Serve hot with plain rice or ghee rice.
Notes:
- The red chillies I have used has a medium spice level. Reduce the number if you have those with a higher spice level in your pantry.
- Adjust the amount of peppercorns depending on your spice tolerance and preference. Do not reduce from the amount mentioned above for this recipe.
- The cook time may vary based on the meat. Check if it is done after 5 minutes. Mine didn’t. So cooked for another 5 minutes.
